Substitute teacher lesson plans: a template and a checklist
A good sub plan lets someone who has never met your class run the day. Leave the schedule, a seating chart, the routines, simple lessons with every material ready, and who to ask for help — and keep a ready-made emergency plan for days you can't prepare.
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Templates to start from
Substitute plan
The day, routines, lessons and helpful students on one page.
Lesson plan
Sub plan by period
One row per period for middle and high school.
Lesson plan
Daily schedule
Times and activities, big enough to read from the desk.
Classroom poster
Seating chart
Desks with names, so the sub can call on students.
Classroom form (Letter)
Attendance sheet
Names with columns to mark present, late and absent.
Classroom form (Letter)
3-2-1 exit tickets
A no-prep closing activity for any lesson.
Worksheet (Letter)
Sub plan checklist
- Daily schedule with times, including specials, lunch, recess and dismissal.
- Seating chart and an attendance list (and how to send attendance to the office).
- Routines: how class starts, bathroom passes, lining up, quiet signal.
- Lessons in order, each with the objective, the steps and where the materials are.
- Students who need extra support, allergies or medical plans (follow your school's privacy rules).
- Two or three helpful students and a nearby teacher to ask.
- Emergency procedures: fire, lockdown, where the class goes.
- Early finisher activities and a space for the sub to leave notes for you.
What makes a lesson sub-friendly
- Review, not new content: practice of something already taught.
- Clear instructions students can read themselves.
- Materials printed and counted, not “find the worksheet in my files”.
- A product you can check when you're back: a worksheet, exit ticket or short written answer.
Emergency sub plans
Keep one or two days of general activities that work at any point in the year: a reading passage with questions, a vocabulary or maths review sheet, a drawing or writing prompt, and an exit ticket. Update them each term so they still fit what your class can do.
How to make it in CatalogProFlow
- Make an emergency plan onceFill in the substitute plan template with routines and a set of review activities that work any day. Print it and leave it in a labelled folder.
- Update the day's planFor planned absences, duplicate your saved plan and change only the lessons and materials.
- Add the seating chart and scheduleType names into the seating chart once; update it when seats change.
- Attach the materialsPrint the worksheets you're leaving and note where they are (“blue tray, left of the board”).
- Print the packDownload a PNG free with an account, or a print-ready PDF with Teacher Pro or a one-time $2.99 unlock for that design. You can also print straight from the PDF on any home or school printer.
Questions
What should be in a substitute teacher folder?
The schedule, seating chart, attendance list, class routines, the day's lessons with materials, emergency procedures, students who need support, and helpful contacts.
How detailed should sub plans be?
Detailed enough that someone who doesn't know your class can follow them: times, where materials are, and what students hand in. Keep each lesson to review rather than new content.
Can I reuse my sub plan?
Yes. Save it with a free account and duplicate it each time; change only the lessons and dates.
Related guides
- Editable lesson plan templates, and how to fill one in fastFree editable lesson plan templates: daily, weekly, 5E and I do / We do / You do.
- Free classroom newsletter templates for weekly and monthly updatesEditable classroom newsletter templates for families: weekly, monthly, “ask me about” and letter styles.
- Printable reading comprehension worksheets you can edit for any textFree printable reading comprehension worksheets: passage and questions, main idea, story map, cause and effect.